A survey of historical and current epistemological options in chapter one reveals significant disagreement. The church ought to be able to speak to this situation, if it has faithfully thought about knowledge. A theology for epistemology, an epistemology-from-above, is needed. Epistemology-from-below may provide complementary confirmation, but this study explores the former. Our thesis is that God's (self-revelation of God's own) knowing guides how humans should know. Since we are made in his image, we can and ought to relate responsibly to others as God does - we should love others. That is, we should imitate God's epistemic stance. God's love is the best model for knowing anything. Since God is trinitarian in his being, his knowledge is also. After analysing the trinitarian theology of Karl Barth, in chapters two and three, we confirm that our knowledge should be characterised by humble objectivity and the manner in which we stand towards an object should be relational, historical and moral. A trinitarian theme in Barth leads us to identify three crucial concepts: committedness, openness and relationality. These form a teleologically ordered dialectic that profoundly assists our articulation of a trinitarian epistemology in chapter four. Ontologically, Father, Son and Spirit are at work when humans know. It seems the Father facilitates, the Son is criterion and the Spirit supervenes. Epistemologically, we conclude maximal true but partial knowledge of God is available through relational open committedness to God, through his Word. And maximal true but partial knowledge of anything is available through relational open committedness to the object before God. This is an epistemology of love. Trinitarian epistemology, we find in chapter five, is fruitful in application to philosophy of education. Rather than to a student- or teacher-centred pedagogy, it leads to a subject-centred and transformational pedagogy of love. The key is to cherish and challenge learners in relational ways to love the subject. Committedness, openness and relationality are a profound summary of God's love. They prove useful, not only in analysing Barth's theology, but more importantly, in optimising knowing and teaching. They discourage nihilism, dogmatism and instrumentalism. They encourage humility, confidence and patience. With God's help, they will assist us to 'be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love' (Eph 5:1,2).

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The point of departure for my dissertation is my agreement with the criticism that the penal substitutionary view of the death of Jesus, which is currently regarded as the predominant atonement theory in Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, legitimates and sanctifies violence. Bearing in mind this critical concern about the violent elements entrenched in the penal substitutionary atonement theory, I attempt to find nonviolent alternatives in the views of Rene Girard and Karl Barth of the death of Jesus. While rejecting the Anselmian satisfaction model and propitiatory view of the death of Jesus on the cross, Girard and Barth both draw their atonement theories from the Christus Vict/or model, which is considered to be free from violent elements. However, they have different hermeneutical windows through which they construct their own Christus Victor atonement theories. Whereas Girard's view of Christus Victor has an Abelardian tone emphasizing the disciple's awakening or enlightenment, Barth's perspective shows the impact of the Calvinistic judicial framework. Nonetheless, in my view both wisely avoid the violent elements enshrined in the Abelardian and Anselmian/Calvinistic models. In my dissertation, I first examine the frameworks of the nonviolent atonement theories Of Girard and Barth: mimesis theory and trinitarianism, respectively. Secondly, I explore how they relate their nonviolent atonement theories to the nonviolent/peaceful Christian life. However, while I am appreciative of the virtues of their nonviolent atonement theories, I wil1 offer a critique of their theories from the perspective of nonviolence and social victims. One of the focal points of my criticism will be the belittling or dismissing of other religions embedded within their theories. Finally I will propose a third approach in which the strong points of Girard and Barth are combined

The career and thought of Christopher Goodman provides the backbone of this thesis. They are used to demonstrate the interaction between men and ideas in England during the middle years of the sixteenth century and so give a clearer picture of the development of English protestant thought. The study has set out to discover three things about Goodman and his book 'How Superior Powers Oght to be Obeyd(^1). The first is to explain his intention in writing the book; the second to describe its content; and the third to understand its impact in 1558.As a study of Goodman's book cannot be divorced from the study of its author, the biographical details of Goodman's life to I558 are investigated. They help to give the fullest possible picture of his intentions in writing the book. Detailed consideration Is given to his experiences in Edwardian Oxford at Brasenose College and Christ church and to his exile in Germany and Switzerland during the reign of Mary. To give an accurate description of the content and impact of Goodman's book it is necessary to establish its ideological context. This involves documenting the personnel, activities and ideas of the Christ Church Circle and of the Marian exiles, particularly those who comprised the English exile community in Geneva. Only if such a picture is pieced together is it possible to distinguish between the unusual and the commonplace in Goodman's thinking, and appreciate the revolutionary nature of his concept of a covenanted society, the people of God.

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This thesis is a close reading and analysis of Karl Barth's doctrine of the divine perfections as found in Church Dogmatics II/l, §§28-31. The opening chapter locates this doctrine within Barth's doctrine of God and surveys significant secondary literature. The next four chapters provide detailed commentary on each of the four sections of Barth's doctrine, pausing at various points to address relevant debates within broader Barth scholarship. A final chapter identifies some of the fundamental theological decisions which shape Barth's account of God's perfections.

This thesis is an enquiry into the problem of Barth’s unnatural exegesis. Previous attempts to account for the distinctiveness or strangeness of Barth’s exegesis have emphasised its theological character or its context in Church dogmatic tradition. This thesis judges this approach inadequate; in place of theological or dogmatic principles, this thesis searches for a basic hermeneutical principle which will render Barth’s exegesis intelligible and constructive. It is argued that this basic hermeneutical principle is that human subjectivity is predetermined by trans-individual structures of sin, self-deception and self-interest. This means that apparently impartial or spontaneous perceptions or judgements are predetermined by deep structures of sin concealed from our awareness. Barth’s theology is intended to expound what it means to speak of salvation through Christ in view of this trans-individual, trans-subjective nature of sin. Barth’s basic hermeneutical principle is constructively compared with R.Niebuhr’s concept of corporate self-deception, and with the thought of H.-G.Gadamer, who recognised that human subjectivity is predetermined by structures which transcend immediate awareness. In consequence, Barth held that apparently impartial or critical interpretations of Scripture serve to reinforce hidden structures of culturally ingrained forms of sinful self-interest. This is illustrated by means of a case study of Christ and Adam which represents Barth’s mature interpretation of Romans 5. It is demonstrated that Barth’s concern was with how interpretations of Romans 5 were covertly determined by the corporate self-deception of the West in the context of the Cold War and western anti-communism. Finally, it is argued that Barth’s theology and scriptural interpretation were closely grounded in his early political involvement and in his reaction to the outbreak of the First World War.

This thesis examines the relationship between two major twentieth century theologians, Karl Barth and Hans Urs von Balthasar. It seeks to show how their meeting, resulting in von Balthasar’s seminal study The Theology of Karl Barth, goes on to influence von Balthasar’s theological development throughout his trilogy beginning with The Glory of the Lord, continuing in the Theo-Drama and concluding with the Theo-Logic. In particular it explores the significance of the debate over the ‘analogy of being’ and seeks to show that von Balthasar’s decision to structure his trilogy around the transcendentals of ‘being’, the beautiful, the good and the true, results from his re-affirmation of the role of analogy in light of his debate with Barth. It will also suggest that von Balthasar’s adoption of a ‘theo-dramatic’ approach to God’s saving action and assertion of the role of Church as a ‘theo-dramatic character’ in her own right is prompted by concern over what he alleges to be ‘christological constriction’ and an inadequate doctrine of the Church in Barth. This argument will be conducted in dialogue with other theologians and interpreters of von Balthasar and conclude with a personal reflection on how the issues raised remain relevant today.